The Kenya government accuses Raila Odinga of Genocide and Ethnic cleansing

<Martha Karua (Kenya’s Justice and Constitutional Minister)

The turn of events in Kenya is imminent. Wednesday, during Hardtalk program in the BBC, Kenya’s Justice and Constitutional Minister Martha Karua charged that Raila Odinga, the man who ran for presidency and lost to President Mwai Kibaki is to blame for genocide and ethnic cleansing that occurred in Kenya immediately after the barely two weeks old elections. While attacking the international community for keeping quiet she ran short of calling for Raila and ODM leaders arrest on genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Raila Odinga (right photo>) stands accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing by Justice and Constitutional Minister Martha Karua.

While putting her point across, the minster accused Raila and his group of ODM leaders (the pentagon) of inciting the Luos to murder the Kikuyus. She specifically spoke of the burning to death of many Kikuyu women and children in a church in Eldoret, the home town of Mr William Ruto, one of the pentagon leaders and a close confidant of Raila in the ODM.

The minister told Hardtalk that she could not understand why the international community was more interested in power sharing and not the many Kikuyus who have been singled out and murdered by the opposition, saying the opposition leaders are not doing anything to stop the ongoing slaughters.

This now changes things. Telling the international community that keeping quiet about the killings was encouraging those in ODM to continue the killings, the minister reiterated that President Kibaki won the elections and anyone who doubts that had the right to go to court and challenge the results. Challenge in court and if any orders are issued by the courts, she said, will be respected by the government. The minister says that the government will not sit down and watch when the scale of violence is raging in the country because a group – the ODM, does not want to accept the outcome of the elections.

<President Kibaki (PNU party), and his Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka (ODM-Kenya party)

She does not understand why others are calling for power sharing. The president has already shared power, she said, adding that the President had already included ODM-Kenya party of Kalonzo Musyoka. If the president thinks that he wants to include other opposition groups to help him govern the country, he is at liberty to do so at any time of his choosing.

She was a guest on BBC’s Hardtalk program where she put the former British High Commissioner to Kenya, Sir Edward Clay, to task calling him “persona non grata” , a man not wanted on Kenyan soil.

Clay was very critical on Kibaki government (first term in office.) Clay’s term in Kenya was cut short when he ignorantly chose to use abusive words to characterise the Kenyan leaders. He told the press at the time that the Kenyan leaders eat until they vomit on the donors shoes, an abuse that did not go down well with the leaders in the country.

On genocide and ethnic cleansing:

Raila accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing? Is this real? Why is the government out now to connect this strong opposition leader with genocide and ethnic cleansing? Is the government covering something and now trying to pre-empt the fact that the international community may decide to accuse those in government of not doing their best to stop the violence that may qualify to be called genocide and ethnic cleansing?

It is the duty of the government to protect the people, no matter which tribe they belong. Did the government fail in that duty and now trying to push the blame on the opponents in an effort to tarnish their names? This is one thing that should be looked into. It is not a problem if leaders accuse one another of simple things, that is politics. However, genocide and ethnic cleansing is not one of those simple things that should be labeled on a person or persons without evidence, because it is a very serious offence that, if credible evidence is at hand, those involved must be arrested and tried by the International courts that handle such matters.

So, we should not put blame where it is not supposed to be and in this case, we challenge the Justice and Constitutional Minister to bring forward evidence that confirms her allegations. If there is evidence to the effect, then the government should put on trial those involved in the act.

However, it will be difficult to arrest any of the ODM men at this moment. It will only serve to escalate the violence in the country and cause deep divisions among the Kenyan people.

One thing to remember is the fact that any Kenyan citizen can take a case to court. If the government is ill-conceived, it can encourage one civilian person who has lost a relative during the violence to institute a case against any ODM top men. That will waste the leaders time because such leader will have to use his time in court instead of politics.

Such a tactic is called “destabilising the opponents”, and that has worked in many countries. It turns the opposition leaders into fighters in courts fighting for their freedom instead of fighting to take over power from the establishment.

We are yet to see what the Kenya government intends to do with so serious allegations as these ones.

Published by Korir, African Press International (API)/ African Press in Norway (APN) africanpress@chello.no